Estimation of diatom and dinoflagellate cell volumes from surface waters of the Northern Indian Ocean

Abstract

Phytoplankton samples collected from the Northern Indian Ocean (Bay of Bengal, northern Arabian Sea, and Dona Paula Bay Goa, west coast of India), were utilized to quantify changes in cell size, cell volume and carbon per cell of diatoms and dinoflagellates. The dataset from the Bay of Bengal also provides inter- and intra-annual variations (April 2008 to March 2010). The variations in cell size and volume were large in regions influenced by the riverine influx or terrigenous inputs. An interregional comparison of commonly available forms (8 species) points out that cell volumes are highest in the North Atlantic and lowest in the Mediterranean. The information provided will be useful in estimation of carbon biomass and biogeochemical studies.

Keywords

• Diatoms
• Dinoflagellates
• Cell volume
• Dona Paula Bay
• Bay of Bengal